Garbage disposal units in your sink

**Utemad** · 15th September 2008, 03:02 PM

Anyone know anything about these?

We have a Commander 5000 which has died. The grinding plate has rusted where one of the lugs is meant to be located so it is hopelessly out of balance and unusable.

I've looked and called around and the only two places I can find that stock any sort of garbage disposal unit are Clive Peters and RT Edwards. They only stock Insinkerator which I think is a good brand.

This is only for a townhouse and will only get used a few nights a week tops. The last one has lasted at least 7 years for us and about 15 years if it was fitted when the unit was built.

Insinkerator
Model 45 can be had for $189
Model 55 can be had for $469

Given we will hopefully be moving and renting this place out soon I'll probably opt for the cheaper one. Less likely to get substituted with a cheaper old model by an unscrupulous tenant.
Cheaper one is probably noisier but would be no doubt quieter than the one we have.

Any idea on these two machines or a Brisbane supplier of another brand?

I was surprised to find how few people have one of these when speaking to people and how few places sell them. We have always had one since I was a kid and they are the best thing going (when going).

**p38arover** · 15th September 2008, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by Utemad

I was surprised to find how few people have one of these when speaking to people and how few places sell them. We have always had one since I was a kid and they are the best thing going (when going).

I must admit to often wondering why the relevant authorities allow them to be installed.

Surely putting undigested food into the sewerage system can't be good for the sewage farms? Or isn't it a problem?

**Utemad** · 15th September 2008, 03:37 PM

Hi Ron,

I've never heard of that being an issue. There are two or three grinding stages so it would be pulp by the time it went into the drain.
The outlet pipe is quite small (diameter) in comparison to the other under sink pipes so the grinding process must be quite good.

I suppose a compost system in the back yard would be better (and cheaper) than stuffing it all down the drain.

**B92 8NW** · 15th September 2008, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by p38arover

I must admit to often wondering why the relevant authorities allow them to be installed.

Surely putting undigested food into the sewerage system can't be good for the sewage farms? Or isn't it a problem?

I don't believe that its a big problem, but they certainly do use a lot of water to flush everything through, probably a bit wasteful in the current times.

**DiscoStew** · 15th September 2008, 03:43 PM

I thought they had been banned! Apparently not.

We got rid of ours and never regretted it. Unless you use them frequently they get smelly. I am not sure what problem they solve, it is just as easy to throw waste in the bin than the sink.

Some people love them so they must be good in their circumstance.

**The ho har's** · 15th September 2008, 03:55 PM

My impression was they are banned in S.E. Qld because of water restrictions....I have never used one though I find the worms & chooks like the scraps better than the sewerage system

Mrs ho har

**p38arover** · 15th September 2008, 04:00 PM

From Auckland City Council website:

Other disposal methods also cause problems - putting food scraps down in-sink waste disposal units places pressure on the sewer system and treatment plant,while burning causes air pollution (and is banned by Auckland City's bylaw).

From Waverley Council (Sydney), see http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/info/...9903insink.htm

and Sink Waste Disposal Systems

Insinkerator didn't like them being banned and commissioned a study.

The Council maintained the ban.

**Utemad** · 15th September 2008, 04:23 PM

All very interesting info guys. Given how little we use it gets I have thought about just setting up a compost system as said above but I do like the convenience.

In regards to the SEQ water restrictions I remember one of the things on saving water was to only flush the system when you were draining the sink anyway. So they must not be banned. Maybe they are banned from newly constructed homes but I've never heard of it. When we do the dishes (for what doesn't fit in the dishwasher) the sink gets flushed so it very rarely smells.

**isuzurover** · 15th September 2008, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by p38arover

I must admit to often wondering why the relevant authorities allow them to be installed.

Surely putting undigested food into the sewerage system can't be good for the sewage farms? Or isn't it a problem?

Exactly, the main issue is the extra (nutrient) load on WWTPs. Add to that the extra electricity and water.

I think that every wastewater engineer would ban them if they could.

**Utemad** · 15th September 2008, 05:24 PM

Insinkerator have an environmental page.

InSinkErator | Waste Food Disposers | Food disposers

I couldn't be bothered reading the links in depth but found it interesting that they say that their product reduces land fill. Everything put down there is organic

We don't put meat in there although they say you can.

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